Department of Energy studies have shown as much as 15% reduction in energy usage just by making consumers aware of how much energy they are using and the costs associated with their energy usage. An analogous result has been shown in the hybrid automobile market. A hybrid vehicle driver can increase their gas mileage and reduce their energy usage by utilizing feedback provided to the driver as to their usage. Energy consumers have also become aware of the environmental impact of their energy usage, often expressed as a “carbon footprint.” Thus, reduction in energy usage translates into both economic and ecological benefits for energy users. But, in order to make choices on how best to reduce usage, an energy user needs relevant energy usage information about the devices and usage patterns comprising his energy usage.
Current solutions for reducing home and office energy usage include monitoring total, aggregate power usage of a plurality of electrical devices at a single power supply point, monitoring power usage at one or more wall outlet power supply points, controlling the state of individual devices through timed, programmatic control of devices, and manually controlling devices by observing that one or more electrical devices are on, but not in use, and switching the device(s) off.